


Time

by perseusveil



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Theseus, Blowjobs, Brother/Brother Incest, First Time, Guilt, Incest, Lack of Communication, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining, Sibling Incest, Slow Burn, Virgin Newt, hints of Original Percival Graves/Theseus Scamander, mentions of Newt Scamander/Tina Goldstein - Freeform, mentions of Theseus Scamander/Leta Lestrange, mentions of Theseus Scamander/Original Male Character, these mentions are only briefly discussed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-08 14:15:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18896278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perseusveil/pseuds/perseusveil
Summary: Takes place after Crimes of Grindelwald.Theseus is in love with his brother and has been for many years now. Newt barely talks to him these days. After Grindelwald's gathering, Newt temporarily moves in with Theseus, while they are looking for Queenie, giving them an opportunity to mend their relationship. Although they finally get closer again, Theseus keeps his secret feelings hidden, and is determined to let Newt be happy with someone else. An encounter with Grindelwald, who tries to persuade Theseus to join him, might change their situation, as some secrets Newt kept hidden come to light.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Kindly keep any unconstructive criticism to yourself.  
> Always happy about constructive criticism though :)  
> If you liked my story, I'd appreciate kudos or a comment.
> 
> This is a reupload.
> 
> Please read the tags so you have an idea what this story is about. I try my best to tag accurately. The rating is for later chapters. They are brothers in this story. These characters and their relationship is entirely fictional.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Theseus' fantasizes about giving Newt a blowjob

“Wait, Newt!” Theseus followed Newt out of the room with quick strides, after Newt had rejected the offer of joining the aurors in exchange for a permit to travel internationally.

“What is it?” Newt asked, his gaze averted. His body was only half turned towards Theseus, as if he was ready to bolt at any second.

 “Why reject the deal? This way you can work against Grindelwald and travel, as well.”

Making Newt join the ministry was the best idea he could come up with. It would enable him to keep Newt close and, at the same time, help Newt with his travel ban. Having Newt closer to him might outweigh his good intentions just a tiny bit, though.

“You know I have no interest in being an auror, or worse, having a desk job.” Newt looked up at him briefly, an accusing glint in his eye. “And killing Credence isn’t the answer. He’s just a lost boy.”

Theseus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I know that, it’s just,” Theseus paused, frustrated. “I want to know that you are safe. After I heard what happened in New York, I just wish I’d been there to help you. If you work for the ministry, then…” He made a gesture with his hand. “And I’d rather see you doing this than Grimmson. You think I like the idea of him taking this job any more than you?”

Newt’s shoulders released their tension visibly. He gave a little smile. “You know I am capable of taking care of myself.” Then he looked at the ground. “I still can’t do this. I’m not good with people.”

“I know you are. I just wish you’d lean on me sometimes, too. I know I could have been there for you more, after mum died. I’ve always been busy with work, but Leta and I would appreciate it, if you can make time and come over for dinner. I haven’t properly spent time with you in so long.” The _I missed you_ went unsaid. He’d like to know Newt was aware that it was implied but knowing the picture his brother had of him, that might not be the case.

The slight grimace at the mention of Leta’s name didn’t go unnoticed to Theseus’s sharp eyes. There was an unspoken of tension between them since Newt got the news of their engagement, but Theseus wished to discuss the situation with Newt in private. What he had to say on that topic was no one’s business but theirs.

“I’ll try to make time,” Newt said with little conviction.

They both knew it was a lie. Theseus sighed.

“I know this isn’t all about Leta. You’ve been this way before I met her, always busy when I try to talk to you.”

Newt looked at the ground.

“It's not like that…” He murmured.

Theseus knew there wasn’t more to be said, as he noticed the telltale signs of Newt clamming up. Instead of prodding further, he opened his arms to envelop Newt in a firm hug.

“Come here,” he said.

 The discussion with the ministers was momentarily forgotten, making place for a fond smile. It always made Theseus happy to see his brother; to spend time with him, no matter how brief.

He wasn’t getting hugged in return, but Newt tolerating the display of affection had to be enough for the moment. He inhaled Newt’s scent and committed it to his memory, seeing as it might be a while until he could savour it again. Not often was he presented with the opportunity to get so close to his brother, with Newt’s constant travels and Theseus’ numerous work commitments.

Newt smelled a little like fresh earth and some fragrant flowers. It must be some exotic species he had found on one of his travels, that he now kept in his suitcase. A scent truly befitting of his brother, who loved spending time with creatures and outdoors. Theseus had heard tales of the whole world of its own that Newt had created in his suitcase, but he’d never seen it for himself. Shamefully, he had to admit, that he never showed much interest in his brother’s pursuits. When the situation with the obscurus would be under control, he would make time to properly get reacquainted with his brother. After all, Leta wasn’t the only one who would like to spend more time with Newt.

“They’re watching you,” he whispered into Newt’s ear, his lips almost touching it.

He could feel the heat radiating from Newt’s body and wished to just move a tiny bit closer, to feel the skin of Newt’s earlobe on his lips. But then the moment was gone, and he let go of his brother.

When he released Newt from the hug, he said, “You will have to pick a side. Grindelwald’s power is rising.”

“I don’t do sides.” Newt looked at him, almost disappointed, and swiftly walked away.

Theseus shoved his hands in his pockets and furrowed his eyebrows, making his way back to his office. No matter what he did to get closer to Newt or to try and help him, it seemed all he ever did was to push him away. Theseus was a man well-liked by his peers and superiors, that much he knew, and he never quite seemed to grasp what made Newt dislike him so. He slammed the door to his office shut and punched the wall with his right fist. Then he sat down at his desk and started doing paperwork. His emotions and thoughts could wait until he was done.


	2. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt stays with Theseus and they sort out their feelings regarding Leta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Theseus fantasized about giving Newt a blowjob

Finally, it was Newt who initiated a hug between them, and normally he would be ecstatic, but Theseus couldn’t truly enjoy it after all that happened. He still couldn't believe that his auror squad and Leta were gone, just like that. Newt offered him a temporary refuge from his crushing thoughts, and so he wound his arms around Newt’s body tightly and sobbed, his head burrowed in Newt’s shoulder. Grasping his brother’s jacket tightly at the back, afraid that Newt might let go if he didn’t hold onto him, he closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled Newt's scent. No matter what happened, he couldn’t lose Newt, too. Feeling the warm, living body close to his kept him grounded.

This time Newt mostly reeked of of singed clothes, but underneath that there was still his usual comforting scent. Theseus concentrated on that, blocking out the thoughts that were going to overwhelm him otherwise. _Why did Leta do that? Why couldn’t I save her? Why am I weak?_ He couldn’t believe the disastrous consequences of Grindelwald’s gathering. Following Dumbledore’s advice might have been the right choice, but it was still an utter defeat for the ministry; for him.

After that everything was a blur.

When he came to, he was in his flat, tucked into his bedsheets, and changed into his pyjamas. The setting sun was shining dimly through his half-opened curtains and illuminated the room in a light orange, just so that he could see the sleeping form of his brother. Newt’s upper body was resting on the bed, both his arms supporting his head and he was sitting on one of Theseus’ hard, wooden kitchen chairs.

Theseus head was throbbing. He rubbed his temples, before looking around a bit more, taking in the situation. Newt was wearing one of Theseus’ shirts, judging by the size of it. It loosely framed his silhouette. Although Newt was barely smaller than Theseus, his frame was much thinner than Theseus’ well-built body, but strong, nonetheless. Hours of hard work keeping his creatures fed were responsible for that.

The sight made Theseus smile fondly. He wouldn’t mind Newt wearing his shirts more often, it looked rather sweet and took him back to happier days, when Newt would climb onto his bed or steal his clothes. And most of all, it made Newt look like he belonged to Theseus.

The orange light of the rising sun made Newt’s hair appear even redder than it usually looked like and he couldn’t resist gently twisting a lock between his fingers. Newt rarely let him get close anymore, physically as well as mentally. So much had changed since their days as children. His hair was soft; a bit dry at the tips, too, most likely due to constant travels and volatile weather conditions. His hand travelled further down, gently stroking Newt’s cheek, before he grasped his brother’s chin lightly. With the faintest of touches, he let his thumb stroke over Newt’s lips. They were slightly chapped, but the fullness looked inviting. Unconsciously, he moved his head a little bit further towards Newt.

Theseus let his hand fall to his side, when he realized what he had been doing. The events at the cemetery came rushing into his mind. The loss of all his aurors. Grindelwald escaping.

 _Leta’s sacrifice_.

For a moment, it felt like despair would overwhelm him. There was a strange mixture of sadness, anger and disappointment, mostly in himself. Even though he knew that Leta’s heart was still loyal to Newt, they had a good thing going on. It was a comfortable relationship, and if they didn’t share any undying love for each other, it was no one’s business but theirs. They complemented each other well, despite their different personalities and beliefs.

Leta and Theseus did have one important trait in common, however. Both wanted the one person they couldn’t have: Newt. If Theseus was a little too eager to hear about Leta and Newt’s adventures in Hogwarts or if he talked about him just a bit too fondly to sound brotherly, she never mentioned it. And for that he was grateful. He didn’t know if his fiancée ever suspected anything; she never asked. His craving for his brother was something he could barely let himself think about, let alone share with anyone. Sometimes, in the darkest of nights, he would let himself fantasize how it would be to hold Newt, to trail kisses down his spine, but the shame often prevented him from thinking about it for long or too often. It was also to keep this secret, that he trained in occlumency rigorously.

In one of his dreams, he imagined how it would be to pleasure Newt with his mouth. He kissed Newt gently at first, just their lips moving on each other's. Slowly, the kisses grew more passionate, and he made Newt open his mouth with his tongue, kissing him lovingly for a while. Then his kisses trailed down further, nipping his neck and licking it gently, as the Newt in his dream was sensitive in that area. Then he unbuttoned the shirt before him slowly, enjoying the contrast of the white fabric against his brother's flushed, freckled skin. He touched the slightly muscled torso and traced it with his fingers, moving them further and further down, until they arrived at the button of Newt's trousers. Because of his inexperience, Newt looked at him shyly and bit his lips, anticipating Theseus' next move. Theseus smiled at him reassuringly and moved Newt's hands to his own hair. The button opened easily, and he pulled down the zipper, palming the bulge underneath. Then he made Newt lift his hips, so that he could pull the clothes off. He'd gently stroke the erection in front of him, using his thumb to swipe over the head, before taking it into his mouth. At first, he teased Newt a bit, just licking up and down, sucking on the head of his erection, before starting to take him deeper, moving his head faster. Newt would grip his hair tighter, and Theseus smiled, when his head was pushed head further down the hilt. It didn't take long for Newt to come undone. 

If his mother knew his thoughts, she would surely turn over in her grave. She had always been a sometimes understanding, but above all, practical woman. Theseus could almost do no wrong in her eyes. He was praised often and received many proud smiles from both of their parents. One such occasion was when the Hufflepuff team won the quidditch tournament thanks to his achievements as chaser. She would never have approved of his dark desires.  

Perhaps the favouritism of their mother was one of the reasons Newt held such a dislike for him. But at times, when he wasn’t looking actively or paying all his attention to her, there would be a small frown on her face, when she watched the two brothers. Theseus' heart always hammered in his chest, and he was deadly afraid of being found out.

As time passed, he visited the family home more rarely, so he wouldn’t arouse his mother’s suspicion. When he thought of the consequences, he often felt cold sweat clinging to his skin. Most of all, he wanted to protect his little brother from the twisted love he held for him. 

Despite his conscious choice to cease most contact excluding the occasional exchange of letters, Theseus missed the days, when Newt would come barging into his room, climb onto his lap and tell him some stories about new creatures he’d became familiar with. When Newt was small, he’d bring his books with him and tell Theseus’ all about the creatures he had learned about and wanted to meet. Newt never treated anyone like he did Theseus; he normally didn’t like being touched, not even by their mother.

Newt also had a complete and utter disregard for privacy back in those days and there was an awkward incident, when Theseus tried touching himself, only to have Newt barging in and interrupt him with some story about their mom’s hippogriffs. Fortunately, Newt was too small to understand what was going on and everything was quickly forgotten. Theseus did learn to keep those kinds of activities to times when Newt was sound asleep at night, however.

 

While Theseus was lost in thoughts, recalling childhood memories, Newt slightly stirred, blinking his eyes a few times before opening them fully. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes a little.

“Theseus. How are you feeling? Physically, I mean,” Newt cautiously asked.

“I have a slight headache, other than that I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m fine, I guess,” Newt awkwardly said, turning his gaze away.

Theseus grasped Newt’s chin and forced him to look at him.

“You’re fine? I don’t believe that. It’s all right to say you’re not. Leta just died. You loved her, didn’t you?” Theseus voice was slightly heated. Just this once, he wanted Newt to open up to him.

Newt removed Theseus’ hand resolutely.

“What do you want me to say, Theseus? Obviously, I’m not fine. I did love Leta, if not the same way as you did. She was my best friend at school.” The frustration was evident in his voice. Of what caused it, Theseus wasn’t sure.

“What do you mean, not like I did? I thought you were in love with her.”

“There was a time when I thought I was, but I think it was more childish infatuation. As you know, I never had a friend before, no one close to me, except you and mom. I think I just mistook that excitement for romantic feelings,” Newt explained. A slight pause followed. “Although I did miss her terribly when I got… expelled.”

Lost in their own thoughts, a few uncomfortable minutes passed, before Theseus addressed Newt.

“I didn’t know that. Newt, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about over dinner. That’s also one of the reasons I asked you so many times.”

He looked at his brother intently, willing him to listen closely.

“I knew that Leta loved you, not me. We did have a physical relationship, too, I won’t deny that. But I wanted to tell you that I would have gladly stepped aside, if that is what you wanted. I never wanted to come between the two of you, you must believe that. It’s just that I knew that she was important to you, and I knew she needed someone to look after her; to protect her.” Theseus put his hand on Newt’s, his larger one covering Newt’s almost completely.

“Theseus, I…” Newt travelled off. His hand twitched once, indicating some discomfort, but he didn’t move it away. “I wasn’t avoiding you because I wanted Leta for myself.”

An awkward pause followed. Newt was choosing his words carefully, Theseus could tell by the way Newt looked at him. “Anyway, I had someone else. I wouldn’t have wanted to be with Leta, regardless of your choices. So you don't need to apologize or explain yourself.”

Theseus eyes darkened. “Is it the witch from the French ministry of magic?”

“That witch is Tina, and no it’s not her.” Newt finally pulled his hand away, his expression guarded. He stood up and said, “I’ll make some dinner,” effectively ending their conversation.

Theseus grasped at the sheets tightly to find some outlet for his frustration. So, Newt had someone he liked or even loved. He slowly sunk back into his pillow, berating himself for even being jealous. He had no right. Instead, he should have been happy for his little brother, but he just couldn’t quite bring himself to. It made him feel awful. Somehow, imagining Newt with a random woman was way worse than Newt together with Leta, who had grown on Theseus.

Their first meeting was uneventful. They met when Theseus was out buying a Christmas present for Newt in Diagon Alley. He’d been contemplating what to buy, when he accidentally bumped into Leta, who’s newly acquired books fell to the ground. Theseus immediately bent down to gather them, when their hands met. They looked each other in the eye, and that instant Theseus realized it was Leta Lestrange. Later, as she introduced herself and helped him pick out the present, he found that they got along well. There was something endearing about her; something that called to his protective instincts and he understood why Newt held a special place in his heart for Leta.

But he also knew she was suffering terribly from the fact that she was not a child born of love. The death of her little brother weighed heavily on her conscience, as well. He’d never quite been able to erase the sadness from her heart. Melancholy always looming over her, like a heavy blanket. At least when she became Travers’ aide, he’d been able to keep a closer eye on her, to be there for her more.

There was no use mulling over that though, he had to focus on a plan to avenge Leta’s death. Thinking of Grindelwald made the blood boil in his veins. The events at the cemetery had just shown him how utterly inferior his powers were to that of Grindelwald. Travers was right, they needed Dumbledore. But something was keeping the wizard back.

Before his thoughts could travel further, Newt entered the room, levitating a bowl of soup before him, and gently lowered it onto the nightstand. He pulled something out of his pants’ pocket, as if reading Theseus’ previous thoughts.

“My niffler found this. If this is what I think it is, then the destruction of this should enable Dumbledore to fight Grindelwald.”

Theseus took the object from his hand. The blood trapped inside was gently swirling, the two strands moving as if they were forming a spiral.

“A blood pact,” he mused.

They were extremely rare. Almost no one would willingly bind themselves to another via a pact in this way.

“I didn’t know that Dumbledore knew Grindelwald so well. Then again, he did say that they were closer than brothers.”

Newt scratched his head. “Closer than brothers?”

“I think that he meant that they were… intimate.” Theseus said, shying away from the term lovers. He couldn’t imagine Grindelwald loving someone genuinely, much less Dumbledore loving a complete monster like Grindelwald. It was hard to even see Grindelwald as a human being.

Newt blushed lightly. “Oh…”

Theseus smiled lightly at his brother’s innocence. He probably thought that men could not lay with other men. It wasn’t something that you learned in school, after all. Even in pureblood circles, where producing healthy offspring was of vital importance, a few indiscretions on the side were not unheard of or frowned upon. As long as the duty to the family bloodline was fulfilled, what went on behind closed doors was no longer of concern.

Theseus himself had only been with one man, many years ago, during the First World War. He was a young auror, with curly, fiery red hair. He had a slender build and many freckles adorning his pale face, just like Newt. Guiltily, when lying awake at night back then, Theseus would pretend that “Tom” was in fact Newt. They looked very similar, except for the fact that Tom was half a head shorter than Newt. If the situation hadn’t been so grim and they both not so starved for human contact during the desperate times of the Great war, Theseus might have felt worse for essentially using the young man as a substitute. As it was, he was able to compartmentalize that aspect of his life during the war; a moment of temporary madness. After all, he couldn’t be sure if he would be able to return safely.

Tom was easy on the eyes and his skin turned a pretty shade of red, whenever Theseus touched him. They had both been inexperienced at first, but Theseus learned quickly, aided by his prior experience with women. The power he had over Tom gave him a rush of blood to the head and he loved every second of it; Tom’s reactions made Theseus feel important and desired.

Sadly, shortly before the war ended, Theseus and his group of aurors were lured into an ambush by a traitor, and Tom didn’t make it. If he had, Theseus might have pursued a more permanent relationship with him. In the short time that they were able to spend together, he’d grown rather found of the shy, yet fiery Tom. It was a sad day, on which he had to bury many of his comrades. 

When Theseus came back from the war and saw Newt again for the first time; he felt a bit sick for having used a substitute.

After they both were done with eating, Newt broke the silence.

“When you feel better, we should go to Hogwarts and talk our plans through with Dumbledore. Grindelwald not only has Credence but also Queenie, Tina’s sister.” Newt’s voice was hesitant.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Let’s go in the morning. I think we both need the rest today.” Theseus said decisively. “Will you stay tonight?”

“I don’t think so…” Uncertainty crept from Newt’s voice.

“Please.” Theseus threw the blanket back. “You can sleep here, with me. The chair must be uncomfortable.” And, silently, he added, “I missed you.”

Newt seemed hesitant still, but finally relented, probably out of pity.

“All right,” he said, before he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“It’s been so long, hasn’t it? When you were small, you liked to creep into my bed during the night, so that I would wake up in the morning with you in it.” Theseus smiled at the memories. “You would lie half on top of me, and I had to push you off gently, so you wouldn’t wake. You always did like to sleep longer than me.”

“You never came home anymore,” Newt murmured. He was laying with his back to Theseus, so his expression was hidden.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Theseus hugged Newt from behind.

Newt stiffened at the contact but didn’t move. “Why?” The pain in his voice was clearly audible.

“Because I was a fool. Work should never be more important than my own brother.”

Newt’s body relaxed. Whatever it was that he had feared was the reason, Theseus answer had alleviated that fear.

In the blink of an eye, Theseus fell asleep again, still exhausted from the events that had transpired. If Newt had asked more about his reasons, he didn’t hear.


	3. Dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They try to hash out a plan how they can find Grindelwald, Queenie and Credence, and Theuseus finds it hard to resist touching Newt.

The next morning, they went to Hogwarts with Travers and the rest of Newt’s friends, including Tina and Jacob. From afar, Theseus could see that Dumbledore wasn’t exactly thrilled to see the small glass vial that Newt handed over to him. Although it was incomprehensible to Theseus, it seemed like Dumbledore was still reluctant to face Grindelwald. Theseus couldn’t fault him for being in love with a person he shouldn’t be; he was a prime example of this himself, after all. Then again, Newt and Grindelwald were vastly different people. His brother was a sweet and compassionate person who just wanted the best for his creatures, and most people. Theseus smiled fondly at Newt’s back, proud of knowing a person with such a beautiful soul.

Eventually, after a series of threatening words by Travers, he found himself in Dumbledore’s office with Newt and Tina. Jacob and Nagini were sent to explore the school grounds. As Newt relayed the events that happened at Pere Lachaise, Theseus eyed Tina from the corner of his eye. He pulled his right hand out of his pocket.

“Theseus Scamander. I believe we haven’t been introduced yet,” he held his hand out to Tina, giving her one of his confident smiles.

She shook it with a firm grip. “Porpentina Goldstein, nice to meet you.” Her smile seemed slightly forced.

Theseus sighed slightly. “I don’t know what Newt told you but contrary to what he believes, I wish him the best, and I tried to get his travel ban lifted. He rejected the offer to become an auror, though.”

One corner of Tina’s mouth lifted slightly. “You don’t know him very well, do you?” She sounded amused.

“I do. Sometimes I just wish he wasn’t so…” Theseus made a gesture with his hand.

“…like himself? With his head in the clouds?”

Theseus nodded and shrugged.

“I know how that feels like, you know. I have a younger sister, Queenie. They are not so unlike each other in that regard.” At this she paused for a fraction of a moment, looking melancholic.

“She’s also naïve, gets persuaded easily, and I always think I have to protect her.”

Theseus nodded in agreement.

“Well, in fact you saw her… at the cemetery,” Tina paused for a moment, swallowing visibly.

“But I think you are not going about this the right way. While I can see that you care about Newt deeply, he, at some level, sees you as someone who tries to change him, who doesn’t accept him as he is.”

“I just don’t want him to get hurt. The world isn’t always as kind as I’d like it to be.”

Tina put her hand on his arm, in a supportive gesture.

“You’ll figure it out. Sometimes, trying to protect a person just pushes them further away from you. And I think we both know Newt would be an awful auror." Her eyes softened. "I’m also sorry for your loss. Leta, she was a brave woman.”

Before Theseus could reply, Newt came over to them.

“Dumbledore and I were talking about where Grindelwald could be right now,” Newt informed them, eyeing them inconspicuously. He must have been curious about their conversation.

Dumbledore put a hand on Newt’s shoulder, as he walked up behind him. Theseus bristled a little at the fact. He wasn’t aware Dumbledore and Newt were so familiar with each other. Then again, there were a lot of things he didn’t know about Newt these days, he thought moodily.

“Grindelwald always liked grand places. And he must live in a remote area, otherwise we would have noticed his hideout by now. Grindelwald has a lot of pureblood followers. He might have taken one of their mansions.”

“Leta’s family has a mansion in Cragside, where they would sometimes spend their holidays. I also know of some places that the Blacks and Malfoys own,” Theseus offered. “She never mentioned her family supporting Grindelwald, but she wasn’t very close to any of them, she might not have known.”

“I’m sure Travers wouldn’t mind letting his golden boy see a list of all the estates owned by the purebloods,” Dumbledore winked.

Theseus scoffed. “Golden boy, huh? Well, I suppose he won’t.”

Despite their differences, he was sure that he still enjoyed Travers' trust.

“All right, it’s decided then.” Dumbledore clapped his hands together. “We’ll wait until Theseus gathers some information, then meet again to discuss how we will go about this.”

Theseus nodded, getting ready to leave, his hand already on the doorknob.

“Wait,” Newt interjected. “Tina, you and Jacob don’t have a place to stay, right? You can stay at my place, it’s close to Theseus’ flat. I’ll stay with him in the meantime.”

Theseus looked at Newt, eyes wide. “It is? Why, you’re full of surprises little brother.” What an interesting revelation. “And still you never came for dinner,” he finished bitterly, momentarily forgetting the other people present.

“I…” Newt was grasping for words.

“That sounds perfect,” Tina hastily interrupted them, sensing the storm brewing in Theseus. “I’ll take Nagini, too, if it’s all right with you. I think she doesn’t really have a place to go, now that Credence is gone. We’ve been staying at a guesthouse, but it’s not the most comfortable place, I must admit.” She smiled at them.

“That’s fine. Let me go home and get everything ready first. I do tend to forget to clean everything when I’m busy with my work.” He chuckled nervously, his cheeks slightly tinged red in embarrassment.

Theseus lightly rolled his eyes at those words. He could envision clearly how it must look like in Newt’s apartment. They had been living together as children, after all. Their mother made Newt clean up everything that wasn’t in his own room, but his room was a complete mess, all the time. Books lying around, both opened and closed, dirty clothes strewn across the floor, bed unmade... Theseus’ room on the other hand, almost always looked immaculate. He valued order a lot, and he still did. Whereas many of his colleagues would have a cluttered and messy desk, filled with unfinished paperwork, he would keep everything to a tidy pile and wasn’t afraid to work overtime to finish some paperwork that was threatening to stay on his desk otherwise. During especially busy times, he’d take the paperwork home with him.

Tina chuckled. “Sure, just let me know when you’re ready. We will explore London a bit, in the meantime. It’s no use brooding over this right now; not when we don’t have any new leads.”

Theseus felt compassion and respect for her, as a fellow auror and older sibling. Although she seemed unsure of herself at times, there was a steely resolve hidden beneath the meek demeanour; she was strong, stronger than him. Theseus was sure that, if he were in her situation, he wouldn’t be able to sit still, not until Newt was with him again.

Theseus nodded at Newt and the others, signalling to follow him, bidding goodbye to Dumbledore and Tina. His jaw was clenched. They left the room, and Newt must have noticed the tension in his brother’s body, for his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if he was trying to make himself smaller. Theseus let the tension seep out of his body, before turning to Newt.

“What do you mean, your place is close to mine?” Theseus tried to keep his voice neutral. “I thought you were living at mum’s old mansion.”

Newt shrugged his shoulders nervously. “I am, partly,” he confessed.

“I also have a small flat that father left us on 3rd street that I sometimes use for research. I have my assistant Bunty take care of the creatures, when I need to clear my head.”

“3rd street? Merlin, that’s only two corners away from my flat!” Theseus exclaimed. “How come I never knew that this was part of our inheritance?”

Newt avoided his eyes, smoothing his hands over his suit as if getting rid of imaginary dust. “You didn’t ask. You came for the funeral, got your part of the will, and then you left again. I don’t think you would have cared much, if I told you, anyhow.” The bitterness in Newt’s voice thickened the air.

Suddenly, Theseus felt a bit suffocated. He’d never realized he hurt Newt this much. If anything, he imagined that Newt would have been glad that his overprotective brother wasn’t looming over him as much as he used to. Not that he ever asked Newt for his opinion, though. Angry at himself, he punched his hand against the wall lightly. Lately, he had been forced to question his decisions quite often.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Newt flinch. He ran his left hand through his hair. A habit that shone through, when he was frustrated. He straightened his suit and beckoned for Newt to follow him.

“Let’s not waste any more time,” Theseus nodded towards the entrance. “I’ll get back to the ministry and in the meantime, you can move your essentials to my flat.”

Since Hogwarts prevented them from disapparating, taking the train was a necessity, their ride spent in silence. They were sitting opposite each other, both looking out the window. Newt, with slightly furrowed eyebrows, looking thoughtful, and Theseus with his chin resting on his hand, his mouth partially obscured by it. He didn’t want Newt to see the turmoil he was in. Occasionally, he would sneak some glances at Newt.

The circumstances were difficult for him. While he felt like he was in heaven, when he held Newt in his arms the night before, it felt like an impossible task to resist touching Newt during waking hours. It didn't help that he was a physical and affectionate person by nature. Theseus knew that Newt just endured his little “brotherly” touches because Theseus was in a bad spot, having lost Leta as well as his whole auror squad. He took a deep breath. “I can do this,” he mentally said to himself, over and over. Sometimes he wondered if his brain was somehow defective, how else could he fall for his own brother? The guilt was eating him up.

Right after they arrived in London, Theseus went to the ministry, to get all the records. As Dumbledore predicted, he had no trouble getting the permission to look at them, although Travers made him swear absolute secrecy. It would be a political scandal, if it came to light; a breach of privacy. Theseus was glad of this because he didn’t want to waste any more time. This wasn’t only about avenging Leta’s death, but also getting Tina’s sister Queenie back. She seemed to have fallen under Grindelwald’s spell, a gentle soul corrupted by the persuasive and cunning dark wizard that was Albus Dumbledore’s old friend.

He was mostly avoided by colleagues, except for a few pitiful consolation speeches. A few hushed whispers followed him, but he paid them no mind. Even his secretary, who was infatuated with him and always glared daggers at Leta when she came by his office, just mumbled a silent “I’m sorry for your loss” and left him alone, after bringing him a cup of tea. Normally, she was extremely chatty and liked to ask him about his day. He oftentimes humoured her, even enjoying the attention a bit at times. She was a good-looking woman and witty, too. Now, he was glad to work in silence. At dawn, he had finally finished a list of remote mansions that he thought would be suitable hideouts for someone like Grindelwald.

When he apparated home, he was greeted by a sweet and hearty smell. He inhaled it deeply, following it to the kitchen. Newt held a book in one hand, his wand in his mouth. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.

“Newt! This smells delicious. What did you make?” Theseus grinned.

“Theseus!” startled, Newt let the book fall to the ground. Theseus caught it in mid-air with his wand, gently levitating it back into Newt’s hand. “Queenie made a Strudel when Jacob and I met her for the first time, and it was really good. I tried emulating it.”

“All right, I’ll be the judge of that,” Theseus winked, and grabbed a bite.

He moaned lightly, making Newt blush a bit.

“This is so good. Let’s get this to the table.”

After levitating the Strudel to the middle of the table, Theseus also got a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses from the cupboard.

“Theseus,” Newt chuckled nervously. “I don’t drink.” He played with the stem of his glass, turning it around in his hand, while acting like he was inspecting it intently.

“Nonsense, just for tonight you can make an exception,” Theseus asserted. “Please,” he added as an afterthought. He was used to being obeyed and followed, first from his time as Quidditch captain and head boy, then as the head of the auror division. With Newt, he had to be a bit more delicate. As Dumbledore had put it, Newt was not one for quiet obedience.

Newt finally relented, after some more contemplation. “Just tonight,” he conceded finally.

“Great, now let’s eat!”

Theseus poured them wine and they ate in comfortable silence. The bottle was mostly consumed by Theseus, but he managed to sneak three glasses to Newt, who got tipsy after the first one.

“Why is my glass full again? I could swear I drank some sips already!” Newt would say, too drunk to notice.

Theseus looked on, amused at his little brother’s reaction, while feeling the warmth rising in his cheeks himself. Newt’s face had turned a pretty shade of red, and Theseus longed to stretch out his hand and touch it, to feel the warmth that must have been there. Instead, he bit his lip, to suppress his desires. His thoughts slightly hazy from the influence of alcohol, he still noticed Newt staring at his lips. Newt’s eyes had a dreamy look about them, as if he was thinking about something.

It was dangerous territory Theseus was venturing into. With the inhibitions lifted from drunken courage, he could do something he might regret. Abruptly, he sat up and said, “I think it’s time for bed now, I’m really tired.” He demonstratively yawned.

Confused, Newt looked at him, but nodded his head. Despite Theseus having a couch in his living room, he insisted on Newt sleeping in his bed again.

“It's big enough,” he said, and that was that. No room for arguments.

He just wanted his brother near him. It was a selfish desire, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. When they were in bed, Theseus circled his arms around Newt, burrowing his face in the red hair he so loved. Newt's body was stiff at first, before relaxing finally. Surely this was not normal behavior for brothers, but Theseus couldn’t find it in himself to care. He could also just blame it on still feeling emotional after losing Leta, which wouldn’t be an absolute lie. It did feel good to have a warm body next to him. Besides, Newt wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of normalcy himself, so he didn’t worry too much.

“I wish we could stay like this,” Newt softly murmured in the dark.

The moon shone softly through the open curtains, tinging the room in an ethereal white light. They hadn’t bothered to close them. But Theseus was already too tired to reply, and he wasn't even sure if he had heard correctly. It might have been a figment of his imagination; some wishful thinking his brain had conjured. The day had been more draining than he thought.


	4. Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is curious about Theseus' relations.

They woke up far too early, the sun shining directly onto their faces. Theseus groaned, shielding his eyes with his right arm. Newt was still lying next to him, although his eyes were open. He had a troubled look on his face.

“Newt, I have a list of places that Grindelwald might have found… suitable. I’ll let Dumbledore know about it, and you can contact your friends.”

Newt nodded absentmindedly, evading his gaze.

Theseus raised his eyebrows at Newt’s behavior but let it slide. They had other things to worry about. After he put on his suit, Newt was ready to leave, too. They decided to meet in a safe house that Dumbledore suggested. It was apparently owned by friends of his.

The others looked mostly fine, albeit a bit worn down. There were circles under Tina and Jacob’s eyes, no doubt borne of lying awake at night, wondering about Queenie’s fate. Theseus squeezed Newt’s hand, causing his brother to turn his eyes to him, a concerned look on his face. He gave another reassuring squeeze, before he let go, hoping his eyes and the gesture could convey what he could not say. “I’ll protect you, brother. I’ll never let you go. I’ll never leave you. _I love you_.”

Newt returned a weak smile.

“This is the list of places we could consider to be Grindelwald’s hideout,” Theseus unrolled the parchment on the dinner table. After a few discussions, they decided on an order in which they would inspect the places. It was decided that they would split up into groups, each one of them consisting of two members.

“I have a surprise for you,” Dumbledore told them after their initial discussion. As if on cue, the door opened. The sight of the man entering the dining room left everyone stunned, except Nagini and Jacob who looked just confused because they didn’t know the newcomer. It was Percival Graves, his hair slicked back in his usual style, albeit sporting quite a few more gray hairs. His face held the familiar perpetual frown he always had. It was a bizarre sight for anyone who knew his impostor. The resemblance was eerie.

“Perce, I can’t believe it!” Theseus was the first to react. A wide grin adorned his face and he strode over to his old brother in arms, hugging him. “I heard what Grindelwald did,” he cast a questioning look between Dumbledore and Percival.

Percival’s frown deepened. “He locked me into my own basement, made me starve and tortured me.”

Tina joined them. “Mister Graves! I’m glad to see you are well, I wasn’t made aware that you… well, survived,” she said awkwardly.

When his eyes fell on Tina, he smiled a little. “If it isn’t Porpentina Goldstein. Who would have thought that I would meet you here. I asked Seraphina to not tell anyone about my survival, for now. I needed time to recover. Now I’m ready to get revenge on this madman.” As he finished his sentence, the light in the dinner room flickered for a few seconds.

“Perce, let me introduce you to the rest of our little group,” Theseus pointed to everyone in their group, introducing them by name and offering a smidge of information. Lastly, his attention fell to Newt.

“…And this is my little brother, Newt,“ Theseus finished fondly.

The scrutiny of Percival’s gaze made Newt look visibly uncomfortable.

“You don’t seem to like me much,” Percival mused.

Newt smiled nervously, not replying. Tina came to his rescue.

“Well, Mr. Graves you see, the last time Newt saw you, was when you sentenced both of us to death,” she chuckled nervously at the memory. If only for a few more minutes, she wouldn’t be standing in the same room as the others.

 Percival covered his face with his hand and sighed. “I see. I offer you my apologies for this bad experience- he will pay for this.”

Then he nodded towards Tina again. “I’m proud to see that you are back working as an auror. You’ve always been quite talented.”

Tina smiled at the praise. “Thank you, sir.”

“Well, it’s decided then,” Dumbledore interjected. “I will go with Newt, Percival and Theseus can form a team, and Tina and Nagini.”

“Wait, why am I not with Newt?” Theseus protested.

“Now now, would you bail on your old friend, Theseus? You wound me,” Graves put on a mocking hurt voice.

Theseus rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

“I think we have much to discuss, Theseus. Care to accompany me to my room?”

“Sure,” Theseus agreed, casting a look at Newt who was watching the two of them. “Just call me when you want to go home.”

Newt nodded.

Satisfied, Theseus left with Percival to his quarters. It seemed that Dumbledore’s friends had offered him a room for the duration that he was staying in Europe. For a while, the two of them were filling each other in on what happened during their absence. They hadn’t seen each other in many years, but occasionally wrote letters, especially concerning official auror business.

“So, your brother, huh?” Percival eventually asked.

“Yes, what of him?” Theseus’ asked, warily.

“He reminds me a bit of Tom,” Percival said offhandedly.

“Not –“ Theseus began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Come in.”

It was Newt. “Theseus, I wanted to ask if it is fine to leave now…” He trailed off, noticing the tension between the other two men.

“Yes, let’s go,” Theseus quickly replied before anyone could interject something, and levitated his coat towards him.

“Good night,” Percival nodded towards the brothers.

“Night,” Newt mumbled, avoiding eye contact. Theseus just nodded his head in acknowledgment, exiting the room quickly. There was still adrenaline coursing through his veins, at the thought of his secret being discovered. He doubted that Percival would use it against him, but it was still worrying. Was it because Percival knew him well, or because it was actually easy to see that he cared about his brother in a … more than brotherly way? And if so, how did Percival manage to stay so calm after finding out?

It seemed everyone else had already left. “Sorry for making you wait, Newt,” Theseus mumbled distractedly.

 Theseus and Newt just apparated straight home, as there was no one to say goodbye to. As soon as they arrived, Newt asked, “Who’s Tom?” There was something unreadable in his expression.

“You heard us talking?”

“If Mister Graves knew him, he must be someone you fought with in the war,” Newt deduced. Normally, Theseus would welcome the interest in his personal life, but the subject of his brother’s inquiries was a highly uncomfortable one.

“He was an auror in my squad, but I don’t want to talk about this, as I said.” Theseus snapped, his shame catching up with him, and putting him in a defensive mode. "He died when a traitor lured us into an ambush."

“Was he… someone special to you?” Newt casually asked, trying to make it sound as innocent as possible.

There was a moment of pause between the two. Newt’s eyes were searching for something in Theseus’ face, and Theseus looked at Newt for a few seconds, before looking to the ground.

"Well, he was an important comrade of ours."

Tense silence permeated the room for half a minute, before he brushed past Newt, and entered the bathroom. He locked the door for good measure, even though he doubted that Newt would disturb him. Cursing Percival for bringing up Tom, he splashed his face with cold water to calm his nerves.

When he came into the bedroom, Newt was already lying down on the bed, his back turned to Theseus, like it always was. He seemed to be asleep, or at least he pretended to be, body moving slowly up and down with the breaths he was taking. Theseus lay down next to him, this time with his back turned to Newt, not embracing him as he normally would. He could hear his brother’s calm breathing, but sleep would not come to him; his thoughts were racing. 

Judging from Newt’s line of questioning, he must have his own interpretation of events. He really hoped his brother wouldn’t be disgusted with him. A small tear escaped the corner of his eye, as he imagined how life would be without Newt. Tomorrow, he would explain that Tom had been a junior auror with a massive infatuation and that Theseus rejected him, but still valued him as a team member. Lying to his brother was not something he liked to do, but he felt it was a necessity. In fact, he should have lied, when Newt asked him before. Avoiding the topic altogether was more suspicious than just making a half-assed story up.

In the end, he didn’t have the opportunity to explain anything. Dumbledore was at their doorstep at the crack of dawn, vigorously knocking at their door, and told Newt to come with him. Surprised but also relieved that he didn’t have to deal with the uncomfortable conversation that was to come, he reluctantly made his way over to Dumbledore’s safe house, not really wanting to talk to Percival. He had requested to be relieved of his normal auror duties for the time being, so that they could follow all the leads that they deemed promising. Travers was not too happy about it, as he still had his reservations about Dumbledore, but when he told him he was working with two experienced American aurors, he begrudgingly granted him the time off he was requesting.

“Relax,” Percival held his hands up placatingly. “I didn’t mean to imply anything yesterday. I just know now why you took Tom’s death so hard. He must have reminded you of your brother.” There was something else in Percival’s eyes for a moment, but then it was gone.

Theseus wasn't convinced. Surely, Percival had known or at least suspected the kind of relationship he shared with Tom. But he would take the way out that Percival gave him.

“Anyway, Dumbledore asked us to pay a visit to the Black mansion first, Miss Goldstein and the others have been asked to stand by for the time being, seeing as the No-Maj and the Maldedictus can’t help her and alone, she’s too vulnerable.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

“So, what do you think about your brother’s exploits in New York?” Percival casually changed the topic.

Theseus sighed. “Perce, I can’t even begin to say how worried I was. I’m glad Newt made such good friends though, they stood beside him while I couldn’t. Imagine my shock when they told me I’d been essentially exchanging letters with Grindelwald, instead of you.”

“Don’t remind me of that,” Percival grumbled.

“I’m glad that you are fine though, truly.” Theseus squeezed Percival’s shoulder briefly, but firmly. “Although you can be very grumpy, you are quite the asset to the auror department of MACUSA, I’m sure.” His eyes twinkled in amusement.

Percival scoffed. “You’re just as serious as me. Anyway, the ladies enjoy my grumpiness, as you call it.” He smirked at Theseus. “… the gentlemen as well.”

Theseus laughed. “They love me as well. I reckon my smile is just too charming.”

“All right, after this is done, we should go to a bar and confirm your thesis.” Graves laughed briefly, as well. “It makes me a bit melancholic. It’s almost like we are young men again, fighting against the No-Majs or muggles, as you call them, not our own kind.” His tone sounded wistful, like remembering a faraway memory.

“I wish there was no war. But that’s just a pipe dream. Men will always find a way to generate some conflict,” Theseus said.

Graves chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like a Hufflepuff at all. I hear they are quite optimistic people. I also hear that they be regarded as boring,” he teasingly said.

“I’m not a pessimist, I just say what we both know is the truth. We can only hope for more peaceful times, at least for our own countries.”

“I agree. But first, Grindelwald will pay for what he has done to us,” Percival ground out, the hatred towards Grindelwald evident in the way he spoke. Then his voice softened. “I’m sorry for your loss, friend. She looked like a lovely woman, from what I saw in the newspaper. Quite fond of you and your brother, as well.”

Theseus grimaced. “Leta deserved so much better than this, but she wouldn’t want me to wallow in self pity and cry over her. She would want me to get up and fight.”

 

When they arrived at the mansion, they put some glamour charms on them, making them look inconspicuous. They had to be careful, and wouldn’t get too close, instead only trying to make out signs from afar. What Theseus wouldn’t give for a legendary cloak of invisibility, instead of squatting outside a mansion in the woods. Appare Vestigium was a useful spell in this situation, but no magical traces were revealed. The street leading to the mansion didn’t look like it had been recently used, and when there was no activity until dawn, they decided to head back.

 

In the evening, they met at Dumbledore’s safe house once more, to discuss their findings.

“This isn’t working,” Theseus began. “We literally have no way of knowing if they didn’t just put charms on the place to make it appear unused. We did use Appare Vestigium, but we did not want to get too close, in order to avoid any alarms or traps that might have been set. Did anyone else actually make any progress?”

Dumbledore cleared his throat and looked at Newt meaningfully, then at the others. “Actually, we did make progress.”

Theseus raised his eyebrows. “Care to elaborate?” He made an impatient gesture with his hand.

“Grindelwald sent me a letter that acts like a portkey, however it has certain conditions. He stated that Newt and I must go alone. Apparently, Grindelwald enchanted the letter so that it recognizes how many people are nearby.”

“Absolutely not.” Theseus decisively slammed his hand onto the table, startling everyone except Percival and Dumbledore. “I won’t let Newt get in danger like that.”

Dumbledore stroked his chin. “I agree. But we are in a bind. Either Newt and I go, or none of us.”

“We need to find Queenie,” Newt addressed Theseus pleadingly, his head tilted downwards, but his eyes looking up at Theseus. Absentmindedly, Theseus noted that Newt tended to do that mostly while talking to him but not while talking to others. Was he that intimidating?

“As much as I want to find my sister, I can’t agree to putting you in danger, Newt,” Tina said. “I’m with Theseus on this one.”

Theseus nodded at her approvingly.

“There must be some way for us to track the two, if they use the portkey,” Graves muttered.

“I’ve never heard of such a spell,” Theseus replied, slightly pulling at his hair in desperation. “I just can’t let anything happen to Newt, he’s all I have left.”

Tina looked at him in sympathy, putting one hand on his arm lightly in a comforting gesture.

“We’ll figure something out. Until then we have to be patient.”

“Ah- you see, we do have a time limit. In the letter he wrote that in three days he would change his location.”

Theseus slammed his hand down onto the table, again. “Damn this all!” He cursed, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He ran his other hand over his face. “Sorry,” he mumbled out. “This is just so incredibly frustrating.”

“All right,” Percival interjected. “I think we should call it a night to process this information and think about any possible solutions. I suggest we meet here again in the morning, at 8.”

Everyone mumbled their agreement. As most of the others already left, Percival put an arm around Theseus’ shoulder, pulling him closer. “You need to stay calm, my friend,” he said to Theseus in a low voice, looking at him intently.

Theses shrugged Percival’s arm off. “Don’t you think I know that?” He asked agitatedly. And, with a lower voice, so that Percival almost couldn’t hear him, he said, “Sometimes I think all rational thoughts fly out the window, when it comes to Newt’s safety.”

“I understand. While I don’t have a loved one to consider, I would want to do my best to keep them safe. However, Newt is quite the capable wizard and resourceful in his own right. Maybe you’re going to have to keep an open mind.”

Theseus laughed ironically. “That’s what I told Newt at his ministry hearing.”

“Funny how that goes,” the corner of Percival’s mouth lifted.

“Honestly, that advice is pretentious.”

“I don’t think so. Keeping an open mind doesn’t mean accepting all of what comes at you. You can still refuse,” Graves suggested.

“I suppose so,” Theseus admitted.

“Theseus, can we go home? I’m tired,” Newt called him.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Theseus saluted to Percival and disapparated together with Newt.

 

“You and Mister Graves seem close,” Newt noted casually, while they both shrugged off their coats.

Theseus looked at Newt, curious what had brought that topic on.

“I guess you can say that, in a way. Mostly he just likes to rile me up, but he can give some good advice sometimes. He’s not the most open person, so I wouldn’t take it personally if he doesn’t talk to you much.” Theseus shrugged his shoulders.

“But with you he’s different.”

“I don’t know, maybe that’s what fighting together in a war does to you. What is this all about anyway?” Theseus asked, puzzled.

Newt smiled hesitantly. “I was just curious.”

“If you say so,” Theseus said, raising his eyebrows.

After their talk, they both got ready for bed.

Even though the day was long, sleep didn’t come to Theseus easily. He tossed and turned after he was sure Newt had fallen asleep, trying not to disturb him before. Wrecking his brain, thinking of any way they would be able to seize the opportunity they were given, while keeping Newt safe, was what plagued Theseus and kept him from sleep.

Grindelwald seemed awfully sure of his ability to subdue both Dumbledore and Newt, so that must mean that he had begun to harness the Obscurus’ power. He certainly needed a great power to defeat Dumbledore, one of the most skilled wizards of their time.

What role Newt played in this was unclear, but it seemed unlikely that Grindelwald just wanted to obliterate Newt. The most probable scenario he could come up with was that Grindelwald was interested in using Newt’s magical creatures to perform his evil deeds. Grindelwald did like to collect followers with special powers, no doubt this was his reason for convincing Queenie to join him. How the young woman could have been so blind as to believe his empty promises, however, was hard for him to comprehend. There must be something they were all missing.

He liked to think that any rational thinking person would be able to look beyond Grindelwald’s lies, but he had to admit that man had a certain air about him; a charismatic smile, and a gaze that seemed to look right into your soul. If Theseus was a lesser man, if Grindelwald had not tried to execute Newt, he might have been at least a bit swayed. It was a funny thing how you would know that this man had executed many people, even in front of the eyes of his followers, and still people wanted to believe in him. Maybe Grindelwald spoke to the darkness in them, the need for power, domination of the weaker beings, as many purebloods saw muggles.

A man of higher age, hair greying and thinning out, with a grim-looking face and a cruel streak, Travers was no match for the handsome Grindelwald. On top of that, many purebloods resented the fact that their perceived inferiors, especially muggleborns, were granted basically the same rights as them. Although Travers favoured purebloods, many still saw him as too temperate in his stances.

Even though Theseus was a pureblood, he could not find it in himself to feel the same way as many other descendants of pureblood families. In Hufflepuff, hard work, justice and loyalty was valued above all else. What justice would there be, if wizards who were powerful, were worth less just because of their heritage, a fact they couldn’t control? Was their hard work for the ministry and all wizard-kind worth any less, just because of their parents? And were they not capable of loyalty, as purebloods were, only for the blood flowing through their veins? Theseus would answer these questions with a vehement no. There was no need to distinguish between purebloods and non-purebloods so harshly, in his opinion.

He moved closer to Newt, putting an arm around him, and pulling him closer. It had become a bit of a routine for him, something he wouldn’t want to miss ever again. The curly locks were tickling his nose, as he buried it in Newt’s hair, nuzzling it slightly. No matter what happened, he would protect Newt. And finally, almost at dawn, restless sleep found him.


	5. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is forced to make a hard decision and Theseus isn't sure if Dumbledore got dragged into his antics, or if Dumbledore is to blame for the situation they find themselves in.

Time was running out. There was only one day left until Grindelwald’s set deadline. Still, they were no closer to a solution in which Dumbledore and Newt didn’t have to face the dark wizard alone. On one hand, they had a perfect opportunity to find the elusive wizard, and get Queenie back, but on the other hand, it came at the cost of Newt’s and Dumbledore’s safety. Finally, on the evening of the last day, they decided that they weren’t going to let the two go, if it meant putting them in danger.

“I want to find Queenie, I really do, but not if it means putting you two in danger,” Tina said. “If this goes wrong, we not only have to look for Queenie, but you too, Newt.”

“I miss Queenie and worry for her safety, but that doesn’t mean Newt should put himself in the line of fire like that,” Jacob agreed. The poor man had lost a few pounds, losing his appetite while worrying over Queenie. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and he had the air of a man that aged many years in a short time about him, weighed down by sorrow.

Theseus felt relief at the understanding nature of his newfound acquaintances. Letting Newt go was not an option, but he could have understood, if they were at least going to argue about it. He had already thought of a few counter arguments, glad that they weren’t going to be needed.

 “But-“ Newt was about to protest, when Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder, to calm him.

“Newt, I must agree with the others. I wouldn’t want to see you endangered like that,” Dumbledore interrupted him, looking into his eyes intently. Conveying some hidden meaning, whatever it was.

“We have already lost enough of our comrades,” Theseus agreed.

“Your comrades,” Newt corrected him.

Theseus grimaced, thinking of the aurors that Grindelwald killed. Making people dissolve into dust and ashes while being burned by blue flames seemed to be a favourite of Grindelwald, and he could never see Newt like that. Never. It would break him.

“Losing anyone to Grindelwald is bad, no matter who it is,” Theseus reprimanded his brother. It was unlike Newt to sound so heartless; the stress of not knowing what to do must be getting to him.

“Besides, I wouldn’t be so arrogant to think that Grindelwald values you much more highly than them.”

“Fine, we won’t go,” Newt mumbled, before leaving the room.

“All right everyone, I know this must be a disappointment, to be so close yet so far. But we will get other opportunities, of that I am sure,” Dumbledore said in a placatory voice. "I suggest we postpone this meeting until we have more clues to go on. Until then," he said before disapparating.

Percival snorted. “That bastard is just afraid to face the whole lot of us, that’s all there is. He has to resort to these underhanded methods. Or maybe he knew we wouldn’t accept his invitation and he just toyed with us.” The hatred in his voice was evident.

Theseus put his hand on Percival’s shoulder in a supporting gesture but stayed silent. For once, he was at a loss of words. What could you say to someone who had been tortured and held prisoner by a madman for months? Theseus was a man of action, not of comforting words or gestures. It was a hard pill to swallow anyway, and he admired Percival for being able to put that experience past him (more or less) and help them bring down Grindelwald.

Percival put his hand from the arm that wasn’t held over Theseus’ hand and squeezed it once, tightly, to show his appreciation for the gesture.

“I can’t help but agree,” Tina said, her gaze dark and embittered.  She snapped out of it immediately however and turned to Theseus.

“I think you should see how Newt is, he must be at your place now. He might need someone who will lend him an ear and most of all, he might blame himself for not being able to help out Queenie.” She smiled at him encouragingly.

“That might be a good idea, thank you for the suggestion,” Theseus agreed and bid his farewell, so that he could follow Newt.

 

Once he arrived home, he found the flat to be completely empty, and there were no signs of life, Newt wasn’t anywhere to be found. He must have gone somewhere else then. For good measure, Theseus looked around to check if Newt’s suitcase was there and he was simply hiding inside of it, but he had no such luck. Taking a deep breath, Theseus decided to simply wait. Newt might have taken a detour; gone to the park to clear his head or something similar.

The minutes turned into hours, and Newt didn’t come back. Slowly, Theseus started to worry. He wrote a short note, telling Newt to find him at Dumbledore’s safe house, if he came back before Theseus did, before heading there.

Once he got there, no one but Percival was present, everyone else seemed to have turned in for the night. Left with no other choice, he went to Percival’s room and knocked twice.

“Come in.”

When Theseus entered, Percival was in his bathrobe, the belt hastily fastened.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Theseus said, taking a step backwards.

“No, it’s fine. What did you want?” Percival gestured to a chair in the corner of the room.

“Well, I just wanted to now if Newt came by. He never came home and now I’m really worried about him. It’s been three hours,” Theseus told him still standing in the door frame. Although Percival was an old and important friend to him, this was somehow more… intimate than seeing each other in the shower or spending time together in the trenches and on the battlefield, hashing out plans for the war.

“Anyway, it seems he’s not here either, so I better look at some other places he might go to, maybe our family estate,” Theseus quickly excused himself.

Percival was not an unattractive man, quite the opposite. He had a distinctly masculine air about him, with his gravelly voice and slight stubble. The ladies must surely love to run their hands over it but Theseus himself preferred his men to be clean-shaven.

The way Percival looked at him, the way Percival sat in his chair, his legs falling to the side slightly, causing the bathrobe to reveal more skin, teasing the body that was underneath, was an unmistakeable invitation, a suggestion of interest. But Theseus felt no desire to become intimate with him. He needed to look for Newt. There were pressing matters at hand, and anyway, soft and gentle was what Theseus preferred, and Percival was rough and hardened by life experience.

“You won’t come in? Talk a bit? Like we used to?”

“Look, Percival, surely this can wait. Finding Newt is my priority right now,” Theseus tried to reason in a polite way, slightly embarrassed by the situation.

A few moments of silence passed. Finally, Percival stood up, and went into the adjacent bathroom. Through the closed door, he said, “Let me change my clothes, then I’ll help you.” His voice was kept neutral.

“Thank you.” Theseus bit his lip in concentration, thinking about the places Newt could have gone to, other than their family estate. He could come up with Newt’s own flat, where Tina and the others were residing, or Hogwarts. Other than that, nothing sprung to his mind immediately.

When Percival was fully dressed, they both went checking at Newt’s flat first. Tina was still awake, but the others were asleep already. When she heard that Newt was missing, she immediately volunteered to help in the search. Together, they first made their way to Theseus and Newt’s old family home which was completely deserted as well.

Theseus went to see if the hippogriffs Newt had recently acquired were faring well, but it seemed like Newt’s assistant kept them well fed, so there was no reason to worry about that, at least. Newt hadn’t told him why he had gone and purchased those hippogriffs, but he could imagine that he tried to cling onto the memory of their mother. A feeling of nostalgia, perhaps. Or something else entirely.

“Bloody hell,” Theseus kicked the grass. “What’s he gotten himself into this time?”

“Let’s check Hogwarts next,” Tina suggested.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, they had no luck either. On top of that, it turned out that Dumbledore hadn’t been seen during dinner and after as well. Theseus had a dark premonition.

“I can’t believe this. They must have gone to meet Grindelwald, after all,” he cursed.

“How could they do this!” Tina was close to tears, her voice wobbling slightly.

“I wish I knew that, too. How could they be so reckless.” Theseus ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Tina, if I may call you that, this might not be the right time to say this, but I want to thank you for being such a good friend to Newt. I don’t know if he ever told you this, but he never had many friends.” He put both his hands on Tina’s shoulders in a comforting gesture, smiling at her.

“Theseus, I… thank you,” Tina said, genuinely touched by his words, a small, gentle smile appearing on her face. “It’s good to see you care so much about him. He’d always described your relationship as complicated in his letters, but now I’m not so sure if that’s true.”

Theseus sighed. “I wish I knew why Newt would say something like that. I really do have his best interests at heart.”

“Well, I can think of a few reasons other than what I told you last time, but now is not the time to discuss this, and it’s best if you ask him yourself.” She paused a bit, looking at him searchingly, before she said carefully, “and I do think Newt is sometimes not the best at reading other people’s thoughts and emotions.”

“I guess women are really better at understanding emotions,” Theseus joked, prompting Tina to roll her eyes, the seriousness of the situation momentarily forgotten.

“Anyway, I wanted to say that if you were to become my sister-in-law, it might not be so bad,” he winked at Tina, his earlier jealousy less strong than it was. Even If he did not want to see Newt with anyone else, he could bring himself to be happy, if Newt was happy. And Tina seemed to make Newt happy, that much he could see. He’d been fine with the idea of Newt and Leta, so Newt and Tina would grow on him in time, too.

“I don’t think that’s likely,” Tina muttered. "Newt has someone else in mind, that much I know."

Before Theseus could ask more questions, Percival  interrupted them.

“All right. This is all nice and heart-warming, but we still haven’t found Newt or Dumbledore.”

“You’re right. I think we must assume the worst, that is, they took the portkey to Grindelwald’s location. But we have no way of following them, what are we going to do?” Theseus was at wit’s end. Sometimes Newt’s irresponsible actions were truly mind-boggling.

“I think our best lead for now is to visit the other places that were on your list, Theseus. He might still be at one of those,” Graves suggested.

“I guess we don’t have much of a choice,” Tina agreed. “We are treading in the dark for now.”

“All right. Then let’s meet early in the morning and discuss how we are going to go about this. I wish we could do this now, but I am so tired that I can barely stay awake, and I don’t think that’s going to help anyone, really,” Percival said, yawning for good measure.

“Fine,” Theseus said sharply, and left, leaving the other two behind. He really needed to be alone and clear his head. Worries about Newt’s wellbeing were clouding his thoughts and judgement. While there was nothing more that he would like to do than forego sleep and just immediately search out all locations that he had accumulated on his lists, he knew that rationally, they stood a better chance at winning against Grindelwald, if they caught at least a wink of sleep. Theseus could go alone, his adrenaline was keeping him up, but he knew he needed the help of his Percival and Tina.

It was unlikely that Grindelwald was going to kill Newt; his brother was quite a useful and resourceful person, at least when it came to magical beasts. Theseus refused to even entertain any other thought. What would become of Dumbledore was not entirely clear to him, but since he wasn’t made aware that the blood pact had been destroyed, Grindelwald would most likely be unable to harm Dumbledore, only by a proxy.

If Grindelwald was able to harness the power of the boy with the obscurus though, that was a different matter altogether. At the thought of Dumbledore, his mood darkened. How could Dumbledore let this happen? As soon as they rescued Newt and Dumbledore, he would give that man a piece of mind, of that he was certain.

He just let himself fall into bed almost fully clothed, just opening the buttons of his suit jacket and trousers. The sheets still smelled of Newt, and he let the air fill his lungs to the brim, just to feel him near. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine Newt lying next to him, his brother’s warm body moving slightly from his breaths. His fingers traced the cold, wrinkled part of the blanket next to him. When Theseus opened his eyes, he was there all alone again, with only his worry to keep him company.

 

Being woken up by an owl flying against his window repeatedly, Theseus opened the window to let it in. The poor thing looked as if it had tried more than just a few times already. Since it was young and still small, he barely heard the sounds it made.

Before untying the letter from its leg, he went rummaging through his cupboard to look for a treat. Receiving a message from anyone was unexpected, and if he hadn’t been so distracted, he might have had the mind to think of the possibility that it could be poisoned or otherwise tampered with, but as it was, he just opened the letter.

His eyes widened. It seemed as if Grindelwald was in the mood for another of his games. Theseus cast a spell on the letter, to see if it had any malicious qualities about it, but it seemed perfectly harmless. Upon reading the words, the colour drained from his face. It was as he had feared; Grindelwald had gotten both a hold of Dumbledore and Newt and was keeping them prisoner.

“ _Dear Theseus Scamander,_

_Hereby I invite you to my humble abode at noon today._

_Albus Dumbledore and Newton Scamander shall be my guests as well._

_I do hope you will accept my invitation._

_You may bring a guest yourself._

_Sincerely,_

_Gellert Grindelwald_ ”

Theseus scoffed at the overtly polite tone Grindelwald had used. As if he would be fooled by that.

 

When he showed the letter to Tina and Percival, he asked, “He wrote that I can bring a guest. Who should I bring? I think this is the same as with Newt and Dumbledore before, I can only bring one other person.”

“I… while I do want to see my sister, I think it’s better if you take Mister Graves. He is a better duelist than I am, and most importantly, he might not hesitate to move against Queenie or Credence. Even if it’s only a simple Expelliarmus, I don’t know if I could do it,” Tina admitted. “I trust you two to use minimal force on Queenie and, if possible, on Credence, too.”

Theseus looked at Percival. They held eye contact for a few seconds, communicating everything that needed to be said. Promising to be the same brothers in arms as they used to be. Telling each other that nothing could stop them. Knowing that they would try to follow Tina’s wishes, but not knowing if they were able to comply.

Theseus nodded. “All right, Tina. Thank you for your trust in us. We will not betray it.”

“I know you won’t, Theseus. You are a good and honest man, I believe if anyone can save them, it’s you,” she said with conviction, but shaking voice.

Theseus felt a bit uncomfortable at the unwavering trust she had put into him. One thing he knew for sure was that he would do anything to get Newt back, anything.

“Perce, let’s get ready. There’s not much time left until noon.”

“Agreed.”

Together, they went over the spells they knew that Grindelwald could use and decided which ones were good against anyone that they wouldn’t want to harm.

“Perce, since Queenie is a legilimens you need to be careful. It would be fatal if she could read all our next moves.”

“I know that, and just as you, I am trained in occlumency.”

“That’s relieving to hear. Let’s go back to the dinner room, so that we can say goodbye to the others,” Theseus said.

Percival nodded his consent, following Theseus back to the meeting room.


	6. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Grindelwald will show the group's true allegiances.

Theseus breathed out audibly, nervousness getting the better of him.

“Well, I guess this is the hour of truth,” he said, one minute before the grandfather clock in the corner would chime to announce it was noon.

Tina took both of Theseus hands in hers.

“It’s going to be fine,” she said, but her voice was shaky.

It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. Theseus squeezed her hands in return, trying to reassure her.

“It’s going to be all right Tina, you’ll see. We will bring them back unharmed.”

Although they were much alike as older siblings, Tina was still much more sensitive than him, a trait she shared with Newt. It made Theseus feel protective towards her, as well. Not only because he was more than a few years older.

At noon, Theseus and Percival grabbed the portkey Grindelwald had supplied them with, but to their surprise, Tina was by their side, as they arrived at their destination. Holding onto Theseus’ jacket must have been enough to teleport her, too. Apparently, Grindelwald hadn’t really configured the portkey to only transport two people. They didn’t hesitate long to dwell on that oddity, before entering the mansion before them cautiously.

It was a huge mansion that was built in a French castle-like style, painted all in white. It must have been one of the mansions that Theseus had found out about, after all. Such a location couldn’t be completely unknown. He made a mental note to check out their surroundings later, if possible. Knowing the family that supported Grindelwald like this would certainly be helpful in the future. They would be thoroughly interrogated by Travers and him. It looked faintly familiar, and he thought he might have been invited to a party by the Malfoy’s here, when he was younger.

The grand hall was repurposed and seemed to have become something like a labyrinth. There were hedges as tall as the ceilings to every side. Three ways were visible to them, one leading forward, one to the left and one to the right.

“Which way should we take? There must be some kind of meaning to these paths,” Theseus asked his companions.

“A labyrinth… This must be Grindelwald’s idea of a joke,” Tina said.

“You’re right. Even now, he wants to toy with us,” Theseus said in a heated voice.

“Well, I guess each way is as good as any. Lead the way, Theseus,” Graves made a gesture with his hand.

Theseus contemplated the options. There was no telling which way would be correct, so he just closed his eyes and let his instinct guide him.

“Let’s go straight ahead,” he finally said, taking a few steps forward. As soon as he moved a few steps forward, however, the hedge magically moved to block the way behind him. He banged his fists against it in frustration, calling for the others, which left him with bloodied hands from hitting the thorns as a result.

A few minutes later, he resigned himself to going forward alone. After what seemed like hours of wandering around aimlessly, but was probably no more than a half hour, he finally laid eyes on a door. With a muttered Alohomora, the door swung open, revealing a dark room. In fact, it was so dark, that he could barely see his hands before his eyes. By now, he was sure that Grindelwald had something planned that did not end with him being found floating in a river. It seemed like Grindelwald was intent on playing a game with Theseus, but what game it was and what rules it entailed, still eluded him.

Suddenly, the whole room was illuminated by floating candles. A few steps before him, there seemed to be a pensieve. The mysterious swirling mist inside the stone basin seemed to beckon him to come closer, and as he approached it and looked down into it, he saw Newt’s face staring up at him, looking concerned.

Grindelwald must have planted a memory of Newt in it. When he looked around, he saw that the rest of the room was dark once more. “Fine Grindelwald, I’ll play your game. You better not have hurt my brother, or else you’re going to regret it,” he shouted, his eyes darting around, trying futilely to make out some silhouette or shape.

The memory was not what he expected. Newt was sitting on a chair, close to a balcony overlooking the mountains behind the mansion. What he saw must have been a very recent memory. Despite the beautiful view and birds chirping in the background, the scene did not give off a peaceful feeling. Newt’s eyebrows were furrowed, and he was worrying his lip.

“Newt Scamander, the famed magizoologist” Grindelwald drawled.

Newt stayed silent, refusing to look at his captor. Theseus noticed that his hands were bound behind his back, not unlike the spell Tina had used on Theseus when they were at the French ministry.

“My dear boy, you don’t want to talk to me?” Grindelwald asked with a mocking grin on his face. If not for his facial expression showing a haughty grin, his words might have sounded sincere, hurt even.

“There’s nothing to talk about with someone like you,” Newt muttered, still refusing to look at Grindelwald. He seemed to shrink in on himself, trying to make himself appear smaller, trying to protect himself.

Grindelwald grabbed his chin with his right hand and forced him to lift his face, but he still tried to avoid looking at his tormentor, turning it to the side.

“Why, I think there is. Just the other day, Queenie told me something quite interesting about you.”

Newt looked worried. “What’d she tell you?” He looked up at Grindelwald briefly, before mustering the floor again.

“How would you describe your relationship with your brother?” Grindelwald asked, masking his true intentions with an innocent voice.

“No,” Newt whispered, shaking his head violently.

“Oh Yes. Let’s talk about your brother, Theseus Scamander, the golden boy of the ministry, the celebrated war hero, the man… of your dreams? The object of your undying love? Imagine my surprise, when I heard of that.”

“Stop,” Newt pleaded. Theseus couldn’t believe his ears. What was that all about? Did Grindelwald fabricate some memory in which Newt desired him? If so, how would Grindelwald have come to know about Theseus’ inclinations? It was all too bizarre, so he just continued watching the scene unfold before him.

Finally, Grindelwald let go of Newt. Both Newt and Theseus sighed in relief. Theseus’s body released a tiny bit of the tension that had built up, watching Grindelwald treat Newt like that. Bracing himself for the inevitable moment that Newt would get hurt or even tortured in this memory, if it could even be called that way.

“Don’t say things like that,” Newt protested weakly. “It’s not true.”

“You see, we don’t need to be enemies. If you join me, then I will guarantee you that no one will say anything untoward about the two of you. You can finally act on your hidden desires.”

“They wouldn’t accept us,” Newt said in a small voice. Slightly louder, he added, “Leave Theseus out of this.”

“Ah, but you see, I don’t think that’s true. What you feel is nothing wrong, and in the world that I have seen in my visions, you can live freely, love freely,” Grindelwald said in a reassuring tone. “Just like your dear friend, Queenie.”

Newt’s eyes hardened. “Queenie might believe that you care about love, but you won’t fool me, too.”

“Ah. Yes, so desperate for love, such an intense yearning for a person she can’t have because of some silly laws. Not unlike you, isn’t she?” Grindelwald acted like he wiped some dust off of Newt’s shoulder, as he said those words. It was a condescending gesture, showing Newt that he was beneath Grindelwald, who was apparently above society’s judgments.

“Stop saying that,” Newt protested. “I truly don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Ah, you’ll come around, too. Of that I am sure,” Grindelwald said with an arrogant grin on his face.

“Like Dumbledore came around?” Newt stared at him with an unreadable expression.

And with those words, the memory ended; Theseus was back in the dark room. With a Lumos spell he slowly inched forwards, trying not to hit anything, as it had gotten even darker than before. Finally, he reached something which seemed to be a wall. Some further inspection of it revealed a doorknob. After twisting it and opening the door, he had to shield his eyes from the sunlight that was blinding him.

As soon as Theseus lay eyes on his brother who was bound to the chair, just like in the memory, he ran over to him. Midway to Newt however, he was stopped by Grindelwald, who was standing in the doorframe. Theseus cursed himself for having been so inattentive, all caution abandoned the moment he had lain eyes on Newt. Grindelwald used the same spell on him as he had used on Newt, setting the second chair just next to the one Newt was sitting on, their legs almost touching, a tiny amount of space between them.

“The two Scamander brothers reunited, bravo.” Grindelwald clapped his hands a few times, a mocking smile on his face. He turned his head towards Theseus. “I do hope you enjoyed the memory I gave you.”

“What memory? I saw no memory, only your depraved mind games,” Theseus hissed out angrily.

“Depraved… What a fitting word. Isn’t that what Newt thinks this is? Depraved? Loving his own brother like a man. Wishing to….”

“Stop!” Newt shouted desperately.

Theseus looked at his brother, concerned for his safety and wondering how he was going to get them out of this dangerous situation. He also hoped that Newt hadn’t been put under the Imperius curse, why else would he not even bother to deny Grindelwald’s words?

“Grindelwald, you can stop this charade now, Newt and I won’t fall for them. What do you want from me?”

“What I want is quite simple… your cooperation, in return for mine,” Grindelwald made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Never,” Theseus said with steely conviction.

“Theseus Scamander, the war hero, head auror, such a powerful and intelligent man,” Grindelwald said, his hands clasped behind his back, walking around the two of them, circling them like a vulture. “Liked and loved by many, feared by his enemies.”

Theseus moved a little closer to Newt, his wand drawn.

“You see, I bet you are aware of the nature of my relationship with Albus.”

Theseus nodded slightly.

“The wizarding world would never have accepted us as we were, of that I was sure. So I set out to change the world for the better. As I said at the gathering of my loyal followers, I am fighting for love, too.” He smirked at them. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Killing all aurors instead of trying to reason with them, I can see the love,” Theseus sarcastically said, trying to distract Grindelwald, while he came up with a plan.

“They killed one of my followers in cold blood, when she hadn’t done anything. Shouldn’t you direct your anger towards those aurors of yours that harm innocent people in cold blood?”

Theseus clenched his teeth. “You provoked him.”

“And did I not let everyone except the aurors disapparate freely? Even you and your brother, Newton.”

“You killed my fiancée!” Theseus was visibly agitated. If Grindelwald thought he would fall for his cheap speeches, he was sorely mistaken.

“I only defended myself. And what does it matter, when the one you love is right next to you?” Grindelwald gestured towards Newt.

Theseus turned his head a bit, to look at Newt who was looking back at him. There was something flickering in his eyes, maybe panic and something else entirely, but after a short moment it was gone, and Newt looked at Grindelwald instead.

“We won’t fall for any of your lies,” Newt glared at Grindelwald, who looked amused in response.

Theseus moved his upper body closer to Newt, as close as he bindings would allow.

“Your silver tongue might fool the purebloods with supremacist views but not us.”

“All right, I see that we can’t come to an agreement. I’m afraid that you have outlived your usefulness, then.” Grindelwald then held up Newt’s suitcase. “I’ll take this with me, since you won’t be needing it anymore.”

“No!” Newt shouted, pushing against his restraints, trying to wiggle out of them.

Just as Grindelwald turned to leave the room, the doors to the room burst open, revealing Dumbledore and Credence, a tiny phoenix flying behind Credence.

“Stop this instant, Gellert!” Dumbledore shouted, walking towards the three men that had been in the room before. Credence trailed behind him, looking slightly unsure.

“Credence! You’re fine,” Newt sighed in relief, prompting the boy to look at him in wonder.

“You were worried about me? Everyone else was just trying to kill me,” he said in a small voice.

“Of course I was! I wished I’d gotten to you sooner, but I didn’t know you survived,” Newt explained to the shaken boy. Theseus noted that he preferred to stay at Dumbledore’s side instead of going over to Grindelwald who held his arms open for the young man.

“Come here my boy,” Grindelwald said.

Credence shook his head, and stayed slightly behind Dumbledore, his shaking hands clutching his wand tightly.

Grindelwald frowned and let his arms fall to his side.

“I see my boy, it seems like Albus has poisoned your mind.”

“I’d like to think it’s you who poisoned his mind. Telling him lies about his heritage,” Dumbledore calmly countered.

“So you insist on being a thorn in my side once more, Albus. Not much has changed over the years, has it?”

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but you leave me no choice,” Dumbledore said with a sigh.

“You know I’m fighting for the right cause. Deep down you know, of that I am sure. But no matter, you can’t do anything against me, and the Scamanders are no match against me,” Grindelwald said with a haughty grin. “For now, I’ll take my leave. But this won’t be the last you see of me, that much I can guarantee you.”

“We’ll be keeping this, though,” Albus said, casting a spell that made the handle of the suitcase burn to make Grindelwald drop it.

As the suitcase fell to the ground, Grindelwald conjured a cloud of smoke with a swish of his wand making Newt and Theseus cough after inhaling some of it. When the air cleared, Grindelwald was gone, most likely through a hidden door. Dumbledore seized the opportunity to release Newt and Theseus from the shackles that bound them to the chairs.

“This elaborate scheme to get us here, and now what? He just disappears on us?” Theseus asked, incredulously.

“He was so sure that he could convince us with his poisoned words, I don’t think he imagined he could fail,” Dumbledore replied, putting a hand on Credence’s shoulder. “I’m glad that you listened to me, Credence. Grindelwald is an elaborate liar who cares about no one but himself. Even I have fallen prey to his sweet words,” the tone of his voice sounded wistful.

As Dumbledore finished his sentence, Percival Graves strode into the room. “I looked everywhere for you all, and here you are, unharmed. Thank Merlin for that, as you Brits say,” Percival joked with a dry smile.

“Where is Tina? What happened after we got separated?” Theseus asked.

“I don’t know where Tina is, but I was just walking around aimlessly, when I got attacked by a few of Grindelwald’s lackeys. I got… rid of them.”

“Mr. Graves? But- but you turned into Mr. Grindelwald and you were…” Credence asked, confused by the turn of events.

“Ah Credence, this is the real Mr. Graves, Grindelwald stole his identity and kept him prisoner,” Newt explained. “We didn’t know this either, until he turned into Grindelwald in the subway.”

“Kept prisoner in his own home, more like,” Percival muttered darkly, his hands clenched in anger.

“He did that to you? That’s horrible,” Credence exclaimed, most likely thinking of his own abuse at the hands of his “mother”.

Percival flashed him a small smile. “Thank you for your compassion my boy, but I feel much better now, knowing that you are safe from this madman,” he told him encouragingly.

Before their mission he had been briefed that Credence suffered from extreme self-confidence issues stemming from the fact that his adoptive mother treated him worse than a house-elf.

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Graves,” Credence said, blushing slightly, looking to the ground.

Theseus found Credence’s reaction to his old friend Perce quite endearing.

“Please, you can call me Percival,” he walked over to Credence, holding out his right hand to Credence.

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise. Everyone was on alert. When Theseus rushed to the balcony and looked down, he saw that an explosion had compromised the integrity of the mountain that the mansion was built on.

“We have to get out, right now!” Theseus shouted. “This whole place is going to collapse!”

They tried disapparating but found that wards had been put in place to prevent them from it.

“I guess there was more to his plan than we thought,” Dumbledore commented offhandedly.

“Quickly, we must find Tina and Queenie,” Newt reminded everyone of the fact that the sisters were still missing.

“We don’t have much time,” Percival warned. “Let’s stick together.”

The men ran through the mansion, trying to find any trace of the two sisters, but were unsuccessful. In the meantime, the building collapse more and more, even almost making Credence fall through the ground that had cracked in various places, had it not been for Percival’s quick reaction. Credence clung to Percival’s arm from then on.

Eventually, Dumbledore said, “We have to go now, we can’t look for them anymore or we will be buried here.”

“I can’t leave Tina behind!” Newt cried.

Theseus grabbed his arm and spun Newt around to him. “Newt, I’m sure they made it out. Right now, we have to think of ourselves first.”

“Fine,” Newt finally relented. “Everyone, get in my suitcase. The zouwu will teleport us out of here. It’s not hindered by wards as we are.”

 


	7. Intertwined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They discuss their encounter with Grindelwald and things get a little bit heated.

When everyone emerged from the suitcase, they found themselves at Flamel’s house. Theseus’ searching eyes found Newt sitting in a chair, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers crossed before his face.

“I can’t believe I left Tina and Queenie behind,” Newt said, his voice wobbling.

Jacob came down the stairs hurriedly. “What was that?”

“We couldn’t find Tina and Queenie, and the building was collapsing, we had no choice but to leave,” Newt’s voice was shaking, and he looked near tears.

Theseus strode over to him, and put one arm around his brother, who in turn buried his face in his brother’s vest, gripping it tightly with both hands.

 “Thank you for saving us, Newt,” Theseus said, gently stroking Newt’s hair.

Jacob gulped visibly, his face as white as a sheet. “I’m sure they made it out safely, Newt, they’ll be here soon, I’m sure.”

He sounded unconvinced but Theseus mouthed a thank you to him, glad that he wasn’t blaming his brother and tried to comfort him, despite possibly having lost his girlfriend or, unwillingly, fiancée.

Credence looked unsure of himself, still holding onto Percival’s sleeve slightly. It must have been a force of habit, remembering the better times, when Percival’s impostor was still nice to him. Tina had told him all about that. Nagini had fussed over Credence like a mother hen, glad to have him back.

Dumbledore was stroking his chin, deep in thought. Finally, he said, “We can’t let anyone know that Credence is alive, for now. The English Ministry of Magic will want him killed, of that I’m sure.”

“As long as Travers is working there and Grimmson is alive, his location can’t be disclosed,” Theseus agreed. Tolerating Travers methods had been hard for him before, but seeing this innocent young man, almost a boy still, made it impossible for him to do so anymore.

“I can take him in for the time being,” Percival offered. “Seraphina won’t betray us, if I tell her the whole story. She owes me a favour, anyway.”

“You would do that for me, Mr. Graves?” Credence asked in a small, but hopeful voice.

“Of course I would. And I thought I told you that you can call me Percival.”

“I’m sorry,” Credence hurriedly said.

“It’s quite all right. You can call me whatever you want, do what makes you comfortable,” Percival gently said, putting an arm around Credence’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. Theseus raised his eyebrows at this; he had never seen Percival’s gentle side before. Percival was… forceful? Sure. Confident? Definitely. Maybe a bit arrogant? Theseus wouldn’t deny that either. Gentle was not an adjective he would use to describe his old friend, but it was a pleasant surprise.

“Thank you, Percival,” Credence said softly, trying out the sound of the name on his tongue and seeming to like it. “Although I think I’ll stick to Mister Graves for now,” he added timidly.

Graves just nodded in reply and addressed Nagini. “You can come with us, if you want.”

“I’ll think about it, thank you,” the woman replied.

Suddenly there was a popping noise, and Tina and Queenie appeared in the room, both covered in dirt and some blood. Jacob rushed over to Queenie immediately, holding her face in both of his hands, checking her for injuries.

“Love, are you all right? Where did that blood come from?”

“Oh Jacob,” Queenie cried, kissing him fervently. “It’s nothing, I just scraped my knee.”

“We found a secret passage leading from the castle to the outside, thanks to Queenie’s skill,” Tina explained, sound slightly out of breath. “She got the information from one of Grindelwald’s followers.”

“I’m so glad you are fine, Tina,” Newt said in relief, quickly drying the tears on his face with his sleeve. Theseus released Newt from his hold, leaving him free to go over to Tina. Standing awkwardly before Tina, she took the initiative and enveloped Newt in a tight hug, sobbing quietly.

“I didn’t think we would make it out,” she told him in a shaky voice.

“I tried looking for you, I swear I did,” Newt mumbled into her neck.

“I am sure you did. You are a true friend, Newt,” Tina released him, drying her tears and smiling at him.

Flashing a quick look at Theseus, she told everybody, “I think we are all tired. Let’s talk more tomorrow, all right?”

Theseus couldn’t help but watch them wistfully. He wished that Newt could be so open with his feelings towards him as he was towards Tina.

It was decided that Credence and Nagini would stay with Percival at Dumbledore’s safe house and the rest would stay at Newt’s apartment as they did before.

 

Newt insisted on making dinner. The main course was vegetables with steak and sauce, the dessert Queenie’s strudel recipe, once more.

“You really need to learn more recipes for dessert,” Theseus teased him.

While the food looked delicious, at that point, he would have been fine with anything, really. He couldn’t say that being so close to Grindelwald hadn’t scared him a single bit. If he had been alone, he might have tried to attack Grindelwald, but he had to think of Newt. Leaving his brother defenceless and alone, in case he got killed, was not an option.

“I can’t believe you two left alone. Who had this stupid idea? If it was Dumbledore, I need to have a serious word with him,” Theseus threatened.

“No, it was me.”

Theseus sighed. “I guess this is all I’m getting out of you then. Don’t think for a single second, that I believe that, though.” Theseus waved his fork at Newt.

Newt shrugged his shoulders, putting food on Theseus’ plate. They ate in silence again, still rattled by the events of the day. Theseus put his fork down next to his plate, his food half-finished. There was a matter he couldn’t put to rest.

“What Grindelwald said today… I mean, we should just forget about it. They were the words of a madman.”

Newt put his fork down, too, but looked at his plate. After a few seconds, his brows furrowed and gaze sorrowful, he finally looked at Theseus.

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” Theseus was highly confused by his brother’s words, and a bit alarmed. His heart sank. Was this the moment that Newt would find out about him and sever ties? He clenched his hands in his pants and waited for Newt to go on.

Newt took a deep breath. “I can’t go on like this, Theseus. The last few days, they were too much.”

“Look, Newt- I,” Theseus interrupted, but Newt silenced him with a gesture of his hand.

“I like being so close to you. But that is the problem itself. I shouldn’t enjoy being so close to my brother, not this way.” Abruptly, he stood up, startling Theseus a bit with the forcefulness of it.

“Grindelwald was right, you know, I really am a depraved human being. I love you like no brother should.”

With those words, he turned around and walked towards the door. Before he could leave the room, Theseus had already caught up to him, grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. He pinned Newt to the doorframe, one arm above his head, the other still on his arm. Newt looked up at his brother nervously, afraid.

“If you are depraved, then so am I,” Theseus said, before putting his lips on Newt's.

It was a passionate and desperate kiss. Newt’s inexperience was showing, as their teeth clanked a few times, making Theseus chuckle into his mouth, but both couldn’t be bothered about it. Newt buried his hands in Theseus suit jacket. Slowly, Theseus managed to manoeuvre them to the bedroom, having divested Newt of his suit jacket and vest already. They were hastily thrown onto the ground. After pushing Newt onto the bed, he slowly unbuttoned his white dress shirt, too.

“If this is a dream, then I don’t want to wake up,” Theseus whispered against Newt’s chest, pressing his ear to it, listening to the heartbeat underneath the warm skin beneath him. Anything to remind him that this was reality and not a crazed dream that his brain conjured to torment him. Suddenly, he felt the earlier adrenaline leave his body, leaving him tired and worn out.

Newt wound one arm around Theseus upper body, the other running lightly through Theseus’ hair, as if to comfort him.

“Don’t leave me again, Newt. Promise me,” Theseus looked up at his brother with desperation in his eyes.

Newt looked back at him; his eyes gentle. “Never, I promise you. No more secrets.”

“Good,” Theseus said, satisfied by the response he’d gotten. He closed his eyes.

“Let’s go to sleep?” Newt nudged Theseus gently.

“Just let me stay like this for a little longer, please.”

 

The next morning, Theseus woke up spooning Newt from behind, his arm draped over Newt’s, their fingers intertwined. His thoughts drifted off to the evening before. A huge smile appeared on his face. He felt like he was drifting on cloud nine; never in his wildest dreams did he think that his brother would harbour the same feelings as he did. It was an exhilarating feeling, but still, at the back of his mind he had some doubts plaguing him, leaving him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Theseus was a well-known man. His reputation had taken a slight hit, when he had announced Leta to be his fiancée, and Newt’s mishaps in New York hadn’t been helpful, either. Family was more important than reputation, but since Theseus tended to be in the public’s eye a lot, he worried about Newt. There would certainly be whispers and frowns. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind however, when Newt slowly opened his eyes.

“Morning,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Morning, love,” Theseus whispered softly into his ear, enjoying the way it made Newt’s cheeks heat up.

“Yesterday was… incredible,” Newt said breathlessly.

Theseus chuckled. “We haven’t even done anything, yet.”

“Well, I’ve never…” Newt trailed off, avoiding Theseus eyes, as he was embarrassed by his admission.

The thought of being the first and only to touch Newt in such a way made exhilarating. Theseus pressed Newt to his chest tightly, before loosening the embrace. Theseus had gotten curious and decided to ask Newt about his experiences.

“You’ve never been with anyone? Surely you have had feelings for someone, like Tina. You two seemed very close.”

Newt hesitated, then looked him in the eye. “No, never. Tina is a great woman, but you were the only one for me, ever since we were small.”

It must have taken Newt a great deal of courage to admit that.

“Thank you for telling me this, Newt.”

“I told you: no more secrets,” Newt smiled gently.

“I guess it’s my turn, then,” Theseus said. “I’ve noticed my feelings for you early on, and now I can tell you why I’ve been avoiding you, when we were young. It’s because I didn’t want mother to find out about my unsavoury thoughts about my own brother. I could have sworn that she saw right through me, the way she was looking at me sometimes.”

Theseus paused. “Although I truly was busy with work,” he added as an afterthought.

“They aren’t unsavoury because whatever it is that you’ve been thinking, I wanted you to do it to me,” Newt looked at him, his voice quiet.

“And mom wasn’t looking at us because she was onto you. One day, when you were visiting, she pulled me aside and she told me that I shouldn’t look at you like that. ‘Brothers don’t act like this,’ she told me. And then she made me swear not to ruin your life.”

Theseus winced. Although he had always known he was their mother’s favourite, he really wished to have taken the blame for their behaviour instead of Newt.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her she was seeing things that weren’t there, and then I started telling her about how great Leta was. She was not much happier about that, since she was a Lestrange, but at least she was sure that I wasn’t going to hurt your chances of making a career in the ministry. Then you stopped coming anyway, and it didn’t really matter anymore.”

Newt’s voice sounded nonchalant, but Theseus knew that he really wanted their mother’s approval and that he missed his big brother growing up. There was a pang of guilt nagging at him.

“I’m really sorry that I didn’t spend that much time with you. I thought it would be better for you.”

“It really wasn’t, but we shouldn’t dwell on the past now,” Newt reassured him.

“So you forgive me?” Theseus asked, his voice hopeful.

“Of course I do. And do you forgive me for not coming to dinner? I know it sounds childish, but I didn’t want to see you happy with someone else, even if it was Leta. I know you’ve had other relationships, but if we never mentioned them, then I could pretend they didn’t exist. With Leta, that was impossible.”

“I understand, thank you for telling me. I felt the same, when you told me you had someone else.”

“It’s a shame. Now, we will never have the opportunity to eat dinner with Leta again,” Newt said, his voice trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“I know. But we will make sure that Grindelwald will pay for what he has done, I promise you that. I miss her, too.” Theseus hugged Newt and kissed his cheek softly, right beneath the eye, as if he could somehow kiss the sorrow and tears away.

“I’ve missed this,” Newt said, closing his eyes and letting himself relax in Theseus’ embrace. “Do you remember when we were children, and I would climb into your bed and just stay there? I’ve always liked spending time with you more than anyone, even if I couldn’t quite put my finger on the reason back then.”

“Yes, I do,” Theseus replied wistfully.  

“I’d always wear your clothes. It made me feel closer to you,” Newt continued. “Whenever you were away for months on end, I would wear your old quidditch sweater. It’s really comfortable,” Newt looked up at him shyly.

“You did?” Theseus raised his eyebrows. “That’s… funny. I always thought that you wore them to feel more like a grown up.”

Newt chuckled slightly. “Well, that just shows that my genius big brother doesn’t always know everything,” he teased.

Theseus smiled gently. It had been many years since Newt and he enjoyed such an easy camaraderie. The distance between them had grown over the years and it had seemed unsurmountable, until Grindelwald, of all people, pushed them closer together. Although their encounter with him had been a dangerous one, he couldn’t help but feel grateful to Newt for defying his orders not to go.

Their legs were intertwined, and Theseus was enjoying the feeling of another warm body next to his. He bent down to plant a kiss on Newt’s lips, but was stopped, when Newt pressed a hand to his mouth.

“I think we should brush our teeth first.”

Theseus chuckled. “You’re right, we should.” And, although he wanted nothing more than to laze around with Newt in bed all day, he added, “afterwards, we should call the others for a meeting and discuss how we are going to proceed.”

Then he moved his mouth to Newt’s ear, and whispered, “although I’d like nothing more than to make up for the time we missed.”  With a squeeze to Newt’s hip, he stood up and went into the bathroom, all the while willing his painful erection to go away.

 

 

 


End file.
